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Trip from Minneapolis, MN to Fridley, MN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

15m

Distance

9.2 mi

15 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$1

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 14m ★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 18m
10 AM
0h 16m
12 PM
0h 16m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 18m
8 PM
0h 15m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Downtown Minneapolis, MN, MN

Minneapolis, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Fridley, MN, MN

Fridley, MN

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

Minneapolis, MN to Fridley, MN is 9.2 miles and takes about 15m via I 94, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region and the state of Minnesota, offering a straightforward connection between two nearby points. You'll primarily be on interstate highways, making it a quick and efficient transit. With minimal distance and time commitment, this route is ideal for a quick errand or a brief leg of a larger journey.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 94 4.2 mi 5m
University Avenue Northeast 1.3 mi 2m
I 694 0.6 mi <1m
Washington Avenue South 0.4 mi 1m
North 1st Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
North 3rd Street <0.1 mi <1m
Mississippi Street Northeast <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 94 — 4.2 mi, about 5m

Traffic on I-94

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~4,681 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~293 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

16×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 40 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Minneapolis, MN and Fridley, MN.

1

Start on CR 152

0.4 mi · 1 min · Washington Avenue South
2

Turn left onto North 1st Avenue

426 ft · 18 sec · North 1st Avenue
Use the left lane.
3

Turn right onto North 3rd Street

418 ft · 16 sec · North 3rd Street
4

Take the ramp

1.8 mi · 3 min
Toward I 94 West
5

Merge onto I 94

4.2 mi · 5 min · I 94
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

319 ft · 7 sec
Exit 225 Toward MN 252, I 694 East
7

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 52 sec
Toward I 694 East
8

Merge onto I 694

0.6 mi · 41 sec · I 694
9

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 16 sec
Exit 37 Toward MN 47: University Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 17 sec
Toward MN 47 Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11

Turn left onto MN 47

1.3 mi · 2 min · University Avenue Northeast
Use the left / straight lanes.
12

Turn right onto CR 6

49 ft · 1 sec · Mississippi Street Northeast
Use the right lane.
13

Arrive at destination

CR 6

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 9.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | North 1st Avenue

Turn left onto North 1st Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
6.5 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the exit toward MN 252, I 694 East

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 225 Toward MN 252, I 694 East
7
7.6 mi into trip | ~12m in

Take the exit toward MN 47: University Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 37 Toward MN 47: University Avenue
8
7.8 mi into trip | ~12m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MN 47

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward MN 47
6
9.2 mi into trip | ~15m in | CR 6 / Mississippi Street Northeast

Turn right onto CR 6 / Mississippi Street Northeast

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.46 one way

$2.91 round trip

$4.02/gal 25.4 MPG avg 3 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.28 $1.55 $3.10
premium $4.85 $1.76 $3.51
diesel $5.60 $2.03 $4.06

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$1

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 2.8 0 $0.97 $0.44
Efficient EV 2.3 0 $0.81 $0.37
EV Truck/SUV 3.7 0 $1.29 $0.59

Gas CO2

3 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (67% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Sep 2, 2026

Origin

Minneapolis, MN

Late night in Minneapolis on Friday

Local time

2:41 AM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

NNE 0 to 5 mph 59% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued September 1 at 3:52PM CDT until September 1 at 11:00PM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

Destination

Fridley, MN

Late night in Fridley on Friday

Local time

2:41 AM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Chance Rain Showers

N 0 to 5 mph 52% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued September 1 at 3:52PM CDT until September 1 at 11:00PM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

1 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

15m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is mostly highway, with 53% of the 9.2 miles on interstates like I 94 and I 694. You'll experience a longest stretch of 4.2 miles on I 94, which will likely involve merging traffic and multiple exits. The profile is mixed highway and surface, meaning you'll transition from faster-paced interstate driving to slower surface streets, likely around University Avenue Northeast.

53% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.2 mi on I 94.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near North 1st Avenue.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 9.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 15m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North 1st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

861 ft 807 ft

Total Climb

96 ft

Total Descent

65 ft

Highest Point

861 ft

~9.2 mi in

Elevation Range

53 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Minneapolis, MN

Full guide →

Founded 1850

Minneapolis is a city of about 430,000 people (2019) and the largest city in Minnesota. Along with neighboring Saint Paul, it forms the urban core of the Twin Cities region, the third largest metropolitan area in the Midwest after Chicago and Detroit.

Top landmarks

  • • Minneapolis Institute of Art — art museum in Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • • Walker Art Center — contemporary art center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
  • • Weisman Art Museum — art museum in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Arriving in Fridley, MN

Full guide →

Founded 1847

Columbia Heights and Fridley are suburbs of Minneapolis located in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 15m. Total distance: 9.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

15m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (53%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 4.2 miles on I 94. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Fridley, MN before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North 1st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fridley, MN before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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